2017-18 Canadian Senior Season

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Due to the defending Herder Memorial Trophy champions not participating at the Senior AAA level the runner-up for the Herder were to take their place. The Atlantic Regional qualifying event was to be a round robin tournament held in Bouctouche, New Brunswick January 25-28, 2018 involving the Clarenville Caribous, Elsipogtog Hawks, and Montague Stallions. The top two teams from the round robin would play a single game for the Allan Cup berth on January 28th. But with the Clarenville Caribous withdrawal from the event it has been changed to a best-of-three series to be held January 26-28 between Montague and Elsipogtog.The winner of this series was to advance to the 2018 Allan Cup as the Atlantic Region representative, however; with the folding of the Montague Stallions in December of 2017 the Elsipogtog Hawks qualify for the 2018 Allan Cup as the Altantic Region representative.

The Montague Stallions have confirmed they will compete at the Senior AAA level for the 2017-18 season. They are a member of the New Brunswick based North East Senior Hockey League. The Stallions are the provincial representative for Allan Cup qualifying. The team withdrew from the NESHL and Allan Cup qualifying in mid-December.

The Quebec region has not had any teams commit to the Senior AAA level for 2017-18. The Laval Senior A Hockey League is the highest level Senior league in the province. The Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey is a semi-professional league and its teams are ineligible for Allan Cup play. The region's spot in the Allan Cup traditionally goes to the host branch; which this year is Saskatchewan.

The four Alberta based members of the newly renamed Allan Cup Hockey West (formerly the Chinook Hockey League) are all registered at the Senior AAA level for 2017-18. A fifth member of the league the Rosetown Red Wings are indicating they will participate in the league playoffs this year (unlike 2016-17) which will create the need for a separate set of playoffs for the provincial championship and a spot in the McKenzie Cup against the British Columbia representative. The 2018 ACHW league playoffs will be a one weekend single elimination tournament while the provincial playoffs will be a two round best-of seven tournament for the Pacific Region spot in the 2018 Allan Cup.

The West Coast Heat have been reported to have registered at the Senior AAA level in the province, it would later be announced that they would not be playing at the Senior AAA level for 2017-18. The Powell River Regals were registered at Senior AAA last year but did not for 2017-18.

2018 Rathgaber Cup (Western Region Qualifier (MB-SK) won't be needed as no Quebec teams are registered and the Bethune Bulldogs qualify in the unused Quebec spot and the Manitoba champion qualifies in the Western Region spot.

2018 Renwick Cup (Ontario Qualifier) (ACH champ (OHF representative) vs Kenora) The tournament won't be needed as the Kenora Thistles folded in late September of 2017.

Based on the 2016-17 season; the two league champions (AESHL and CWSHL) would be scheduled to meet for the 2018 Herder Memorial Trophy and the province's spot in the 2019 Atlantic region qualifying tournament for the Allan Cup (if there are any other team's Senior "AAA" registered in the Atlantic region). However, the defending Herder champion declined to register at the Senior AAA level and will not participate in the 2018 Atlantic region qualifying tournament for the Allan Cup.

BC only has two leagues that plays completely within its borders. However, the North Peace Hockey League has teams from BC and Alberta. The NPHL champion qualifies for the Alberta Senior AA/A Provincial tournament. But the two BC based teams are having a best-of-three series in mid-January to determine a participant in the 2018 Coy Cup.